Little Inventors wants to send your ideas into orbit

Inventions for SPACE contest challenges Canadians 15 and under to invent a prototype to help astronauts (Little Inventors/NSERC)

Are you a fan of space? Do you love inventions? Do you ever dream of combining the two things?

Then you'll find this contest is a real...blast! (Yep, we really just made that pun.)

Little Inventors — Inventions for SPACE is being launched today and, if you can forgive us for yet another pun, this nationwide contest really is out of this world. The challenge? You have to come up with an idea that could be developed into an invention to make life in space easier and more fun.

Since 2015, this British group has been inspiring young people to fire up their imaginations and explore the worlds of science, technology, engineering, and math (a.k.a. STEM).

In 2017, they partnered with Canada's Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) to hold their first-ever Canadian contest. It was a huge success! From 500 entries, the inventions of 18 winners were featured in exhibits coast-to-coast. Two inventors even got to meet Prime Minister Trudeau.

It went so well that a sequel was only natural. It's time for young minds to travel into space!

Helping out real astronauts

Astronaut David Saint-Jacques is excited to see what you can invent. (Getty Embed)

Today's launch is being held at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa. Present are Grade 6 students from Ottawa's St. Patrick School and Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. The whole thing is sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency, too, so you know it's official!

Saint-Jacques is a super cool sponsor of the contest. Why? Because he is slated to go to the International Space Station in November 2018 (this will make him the first Canadian there since Chris Hadfield). Can you guess what part of his carry-on luggage will be?

Yep. The top winner's entry of the Inventions for SPACE contest! So where do you sign up?

T-minus 10, 9...

The contest is open now and ends on April 13, 2018. Just how would you make life easier and more fun in space? The possibilities are limitless and the best ideas will be turned into prototypes by expert makers and builders. And the very best? They could be on quite trip...

To learn more details, click here. And in the meantime, here's David Saint-Jacques with a message to get you pumped. 3, 2, 1...